The advent of computers have fundamentally changed the way images can be stored, manipulate, and printed. Images can now be captured by digital devices, such as digital cameras and scanners, and stored digitally. A digitally stored image can then be transmitted, enhanced, and manipulated through computer programs. Moreover, as digital technology has improved and associated costs fallen, the resolution of the images captured by these devices continues to improve, and in many cases approaches or exceeds the quality of traditional film photography.
Traditionally, to use a digital image one needed a computer. The computer would be loaded with a variety of different programs to transmit, enhance and manipulate the digital images. To obtain a hard copy of the digital image, the user would direct the computer with an appropriate series of commands to send a “print job” from the computer to a traditional printer. While the traditional model works, it does have attendant shortcomings, such as being expensive, complicated, non-portable, etc. To combat such shortcomings, various manufacturers began offering stand-alone printers designed to print digital images. One example of a stand-alone printer is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/164,500, filed on Oct. 1, 1998. While stand-alone printers have proven to have remarkable benefits over the traditional model, the present invention offers even more benefits and improvements for stand-alone printers.
Furthermore, stand-alone printers which desire to provide additional features to an end user, are forced to process the digital photographic image data within the photoprinter itself. Typically, a computer will process digital photographic image data and provide the enhanced digital photographic image to a printer in a high resolution format which the printer requires to create a printing swath for output. The digital photographic image enhancements are easily processed on a computer which comprises much larger storage space and processing power than a printer. Correspondingly, printers are significantly less expensive for a consumer to purchase than a computer because, printers have less memory and processing power. However, photoprinters are stand-alone printers which are capable of receiving a digital photographic image in its native resolution. Therefore, photoprinters cannot rely on digital photographic image enhancements to be performed by a computer.
Processing digital photographic image data at a high resolution such as 600 DPI (Dots Per Inch) requires significant memory and processing power by the photoprinter. Yet, since the photoprinter receives a digital photographic image directly, in a camera resolution (low resolution), it is desirable to perform digital photographic image enhancements at the native camera resolution. Camera image resolution is at a resolution significantly lower than a required printer output resolution. Thus, storage and processing of the digital photographic image at this lower resolution will free up significant memory and processor utilization within the photoprinter.
For example, a camera image resolution of 1024×768 for a digital photographic image, desired to be printed on an 8×10 inch page, would need to be expanded 6 times in both the length and the width directions of the page, resulting in a memory storage requirement of 36 times the size of the originally obtained camera image resolution. With a significantly larger digital photographic image, processing power is increased when attempting to manipulate or alter the digital photographic image. Adding storage and processing power to the photoprinter, will significantly increase the cost of the photoprinter and correspondingly the photoprinter would become less attractive to a prospective consumer.
Yet, consumers also desire to enhance their digital photographic images, by altering the image in some way such as inserting text or graphics onto the image, or creating a fade effect with a digital photographic image. Some enhancements are more optimally performed at lower resolutions, while other enhancements are more optimally performed at higher resolutions. For example, attempting to insert text messages or graphics onto a digital photographic image are best performed at higher printer resolutions. Performing text or graphic enhancements at a lower resolution will cause the inserted text or graphic to appear jagged and not blend with the digital photographic image. This jagged appearance would be immediately discernable to the viewer of the digital photographic image and perceived as poor quality. However, inserting text or graphics at the printer resolution will substantially decrease the jagged appearance and become more pleasing to the viewer of the digital photographic image. Inserting text and graphics at higher resolutions are not as costly as altering the original digital photographic image itself, since the size of text or graphics will be significantly less than the size of the digital photographic image.
Conversely, digital image enhancements which alter the digital photographic image such as fade effects, three dimensional effects, embossing effects, blurring effects, wind effects, and swirl effects are best performed at the lower camera resolutions. Altering the image at a lower resolution, significantly reduces memory and processor utilization as discussed above.